Control valve



Nov. 6, 1934. A, c. RowLl-:Y

CONTROL VALVE Original Filed Feb. 24, 1935 Patented Nov. 6, 1934 CONTROL Y VALVE p Arthur C. Rowley, Drexel HilL'P'a., assigner to Globe Automatic Sprinkler Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Original application February '24, 1933, Serial No.

658,410. Divided and this application Marc 16, 1934, Serial No. 715,954

1 Claim. (01.27749) This invention relates to improvements in control valves for automatic sprinkler systems, (being a division of my application for patent iiled February 24, 1933, Serial Number 658,410), and a l principal object of the invention is to provide a simple and eicient valve combining the functions of independent control, drain and alarm valves.

Another and more specific object of the invention is to provide a valve of the general character set forth comprising novel means for locking on its seat the valve element which controls the passage of water or other fluid from the supply main to 'the sprinkler system, and for simultaneously rendering a drain means for the system operative to free the system of accumulated fluid.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel alarm device actuated by sudden substantial differences in fluid pressure at opposite sides of the valve.

Still another object of the invention is to provide novel means for preventing accidental actuation of the alarm due to surges or resurges in the supply and sprinkler systems.

The invention further resides in certain novel and improved structural and mechanical features hereinafter described and illustrated in the attached drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional View of a valve madein accordance with my invention showing the parts in thelrelative positions to which they are adjusted when the device is set for operation;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken through thev casing on the line 2 2, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view corresponding to Fig. 1 but showing the parts adjusted to their inoperative positions.

With reference to Fig. 1 of the drawing, the valve in a preferred embodiment comprises a casing 1 having an inlet port 2 adapted for connection to a fluid supply main and an outlet port 3 adapted for connection with the sprinkler system. In the interior of the Valve and between these ports is formed a seat 4 for a valve clapper 5 pivotally mounted in the casing at 6 and having associated therewith a retaining lever 7 with bifurcations also pvotally mounted on the pivot 6. One arm of the lever 7 engages in a recess in the upper face of the clapper 5, while the other end is engaged by the head of.a plunger 8, this plunger being slidably mounted in a longitudinal recess in a valve stem 9 threaded into a cap 11 constituting a part of the casing 1. Between the inner face of the cap 11 and the head of the plunger 8 is a spring 12 which normally exerts a pressure upon the plunger forcing it resiliently against the valve-retaining lever 7. The stem.9 y has at its outer end a hand Wheel 13, and the inner end of the stem carries a valve 14 which normally and as shownin Fig. 1 seats in the inner face lof the cap 11 to seal the port 15 in said cap through which the stem extendsinto the interior of the valve casing. The port 15 at its outer end communicates with a chamber 16 in the cap-11, and this f chamber, see Fig. 2, communicates through a passage 17 in the cap and in the wall of the casing proper with a port 18 which is con#A nected to a suitable drain. It will be apparent" that when the hand wheel 13 is turned to ad-l vance the stem inwardly in the threaded cap, the l valve 14 will be moved from its seat, thereby" opening the port 15 and connecting the drain chamber 16 with the interior chamber of thevalve casing. Also the stem 9 is capable of` being turned inwardly sufliciently to bring the valve 14 into engagement with the head 8 of the plunger when the latter is in the normal position'shown in Fig. 1. The purpose of this adjustment will be described hereinafter. l y

The valve casing 1 on the sprinkler system side of the clapper 5 is provided with a port 17Ywhich is connected through suitable pipe connections 18 with one end of a casing 19. The other end of the casing 19 is connected through afsuitable fitting 21 with a port 22 in the valve casing, -which port communicates with a passage 23 vformed in the wall of the casing. The passage 23 com# municates through a port 24 with-the interiorcf the casing at the intake side of the clapper 5; and the passage 23 is alsoconnected through a port 25 with the interior of the casing at the opposite or sprinkler system side of the clapper. The port 25 is controlled by a ball check 26, the arrangement of this check valve being such that the ball normally closes the port 25 as shown. The port 24 is controlled by a needle Valve 27 threaded into the casing and adjustable from the exterior of the latter, and means is provided in the form of a lever 28 pivotally secured to the outer exposed end of the valve 27 for locking this Valve in the open position shown in Fig. 1. The

lever 28 is apertured for reception of an apertured lug 29 projecting from the casing, and the Iaperture in the said lever 28 will register with is intact, therefore, it may be assumed that the needle valve 27 is in the normal open position.

It will be understood that the casing 19 houses the elements of a pressure-actuated switch mechanism constituting an element of an alarm device forming no part of the present invention. It is suicient to'state that the switch mechanism is actuated when the fluid pressure applied to the (casing 19 through the port 17 falls appreciablyy `;0f the valve clapper 5, and since theksprinkle'r system is also connected with the water main through the ports 24 and 25, the entire system rwill be ooded and the pressures at opposite sides of the valve clapper will be the same. Under these conditions, the pressure of the spring 12 is suflcient to hold the clapper to its seat. Also the uid pressure at the ports 17 and 22 will Vbe the ,same and the switch mechanism in the casing vll19Vvvill be open. It will be noted further that tunder these conditions the Valve 14 is seated and the needle valve 27 backed away to open the port '24. y Assuming that under these conditions pres- 'sure on the sprinkler system side of the clapper 5 is reduced by the opening forexample of one 'of the sprinkler heads, the resulting reduction of 'pressure in that chamber of the casing 1 corn- .municating with the sprinkler system results in a corresponding reduction of fluid pressure at the port 17, and the relatively high fluid pressure, which by reason of the restricted character of the port 25 is still exerted at the port 22, causes an ,a

actuation of the switch mechanism closing the alarm circuit. Also the reduced pressure at the system side of the clapper 5 permits the pressure of the water main to force this valve from its seat, thereby permitting flow of Water from the main to the sprinkler system.

If it is desired to interrupt the flow of Water from the sprinkler system, the valve stem 9 is turned inwardly through the medium of the hand wheel 13 until, as shown in Fig. 3, the valve 14 engages the inner face of the head of the plungfer 8, and further until the plunger is advanced l"against the lever 7 of the valve clapper 5 sufliciently to return this vclapper to its seat. The needle valve 27 is also turned inwardly to close the port 24 so that flow of water from the main device, y it :to the system is entirely prevented. Inward movement of the valve 14 uncovers'the port 15 cover the port 24. Water will then again enter and fill the sprinkler system, and the valve 5 and the elements of the alarm device 19 will, when the pressure in the sprinkler system equals the pressure inthe supply main, again assume their normal positions as shown in Fig. 1. Surges of water vinthe supply line are permitted to vent through the port 25 into the sprinkler system without actuating the alarm, and the check 26 prevents actuation Pby resurge vfrom the sprinkler system. f,

It win be apparent 'that the deviceis suited fory use in a dry pipe system as Well as in the Wet system described above.` Under these circumstances, sulicient air must be applied to the sprinkler system to balance the effect upon the ball check 26 andthe clapper 5 of the water'pressure in the main. When suflicient air pressure,k

is applied, the valves 14 and 27 may be adjusted to their seated and unseated positions respecf tively, the air pressurey thereafter maintaining under normal conditions theball check andthe clapper 5 on their seats against the Water pres-l sure.r

I claim:

In a valve of the stated type, the combinationY with a casing having intake and discharge ports, of a valve element seating in said casing and normally separating said ports, a .drainrport in said casing, a valve normally "closingl said port and having a stemthreaded into said casing, an

plunger slidable in a longitudinal recess in said stem and projecting beyond the inner end thereof, and a spring resiliently advancing Ythe projecting end of said plunger into engagement with the valve element rst named and `tending resiliently to retain the *element on its seat, said threaded stem being rotatable from the exterior of the casing to unseat its valve from thedrain port and to bring said valve into locking engagement with said plunger to retain the plunger in position preventing` movement ofthe said valve,

element from its seat. t

ARTHUR C. ROWLEY. 

